


to the lonely sea and the sky

by jangjoos



Category: Produce X 101 (TV), X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Pirate, M/M, a few more people are mentioned - Freeform, like. byungchan and sejun have a cameo, pirate aesthetic but barely any actual pirating?, tropes. lots of tropes, wooseok is a mermaid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-10-14 10:36:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20599346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jangjoos/pseuds/jangjoos
Summary: The siren has his back turned towards him, lounging just below one of the cliffs and pensively watching something in the distance, chin tilted towards the sky. The iridescent scales on his tail glimmer even more brilliantly in the sunset, the sun’s dying light highlights gentle hints of red in his dark hair.When he turns around and stops singing, Seungyoun briefly forgets how to breathe. The legends aren’t untrue. Even in the dimming light, he’s more beautiful than anything Seungyoun’s ever seen.---Or, the pirate/mermaid AU that absolutely nobody asked for.





	1. sky.

Sometimes, Seungyoun swears that he can hear the ocean sing.

When the seas are calm, when he's off duty and free to enjoy a nice tankard of rum at the stern with the wind tugging at his hair, when sunlight bounces off the water and clouds drift apart to reveal skies as blue as the ocean itself, Seungyoun swears that he could hear this sweet, incessant melody humming beneath the waves. If anyone else in the crew hears this, none of them comment on it. Perhaps life at sea has finally, finally driven him insane.

Though it's quite alright with him. Insanity aside, it's funny and flattering to think that the ocean only sings to him, that the faint song he hears across the sea is for his ears only.

"Hey," Seungwoo says, tossing him a coil of rope. Seungyoun, too busy listening to the ocean, only barely manages to catch it.

"Hangyul's taking a break. The jib sail's luffing." Seungwoo flicks his head to the side, hat almost flying off in the process. "Get to it, first mate."

Seungyoun stifles a groan. The _ Butterfly _is small, but she’s also manned by a relatively small crew; there's always shit to be done around here. By now, he knows better than to complain.

"Aye, captain."

On his way to the bow, he passes Junho and Eunsang, who are decidedly not doing a good job at sweeping the main deck, instead laughing and playing games with one another. He would tell them to get to work, but Seungwoo’s already on his way. When Seungyoun looks up, he catches Dohyon waving to him from the crow's nest. He smiles back.

They're a scrappy, ragtag band of pirates. So small, so weak, in fact, that one would hesitate to call them pirates at all. They're merely outcasts, sailing from shore to shore in their tiny brigantine, making a meager income off of busking in port cities and raiding whatever other ships they can take on.

It hasn't always been them. Not long ago, Minkyu, Jungmo, and Wonjin had gone ashore to finish their schooling, leaving Hyeongjun and Minhee in their midst. Shortly after, Yunseong and Donghyun followed. Later on, they found Yohan and Hangyul in another coastal town, both trained fighters weary of life as mercenaries. They blended almost seamlessly with the rest of the crew to the extent where Seungyoun could no longer imagine what the ship would be like without them.

As for Seungyoun himself-- he could hardly imagine any life if not one spent on the high seas. He's been seafaring for basically his entire life, having been practically raised aboard his father's merchant vessel. Then, he had spent a couple of frustrating years on land. When he first found Seungwoo, the ex-naval officer had been just like him; lost, aimless, drifting as if at sea. They had sailed away together, seeking to build a life around tales of adventure and grandeur.

And Seungyoun thinks that's exactly the kind of life they managed to build, with Seungwoo as the captain and Seungyoun by his side. No matter what changes on board the ship, this much will always be certain.

At the bow, Seungyoun continues to listen to the sea. When it keeps singing, perhaps he could imagine that it's an old friend humming in his ear. He smiles and gets to work.

* * *

It's a quiet day when Seungyoun first spots something in the water, shimmering and strange. it passes by in a flash, a collection of red scales glittering in the sunlight that disappears just as quickly as it had appeared. Had it not been for the faint ripples that it left behind, Seungyoun wouldn't have believed that he saw it at all.

However, the silence doesn't last long. Clouds begin to gather in the sky. A drop of rain falls on Seungyoun's nose.

"Storm's afoot," Eunsang says next to him, squinting into the distance.

Seungyoun nods. "Go tell the captain. I'll get some extra hands and get the trysails up."

When Eunsang hurries off, Seungyoun wanders around the ship. the clouds grow darker by the minute, gathering and circling overhead. By the time he finds Hyeongjun and Minhee in the galley, it's already begun to pour.

They get the _ Butterfly _storm-rigged just as the wind picks up. Small mercies. Everyone on board rushes into the berth, save for Dongpyo, who's currently struggling at the bridge.

"Go in," Seungyoun urges Dongpyo, putting a hand on his shoulder. Dongpyo looks over at him, one hand blocking the wind. After a moment's hesitation, he nods and runs off, trying his best to keep his balance above deck. Dongpyo's a fine sailor, has good senses when it comes to the helm, but it takes more than just instinct to navigate winds like these. 

Lightning flashes ahead of the ship. A few seconds later, thunder follows, a rolling growl in the distance. Seungyoun steers the brigantine against the waves, turns the bow against the wind. The ship slows down, the mainsails go limp. When he's certain that she’s in irons, he takes a deep breath.

Lightning flashes again, and this time, it illuminates something in the water. Something strange, something that shimmers against the waves. At the same time, the storm's begun to recede; Seungyoun feels it in the way that the wind stops tugging at his hair, hears it in the way that the rain stops battering against the deck.

A face. Seungyoun swears that he saw a face, a body rising from the sea. It was gone in a heartbeat, sinking back under so gently that the water barely ripples in its wake.

* * *

"First mate."

Seungyoun smiles and bows a little, not at all serious, not at all formal. "Quartermaster." He doesn't look away from the helm.

Yohan nods back, adjusting his hat. "We've decided to change course. The ship needs to get to port." 

It hasn't been long since they brought Yohan aboard. However, the man had earned the rest of the crew's respect shockingly fast, most of all captain Seungwoo himself. They haven't had a real quartermaster since Jinhyuk went ashore, with Seungyoun covering most of the duties on top of being Seungwoo's right hand. When Yohan joined them, he began to help Seungyoun with some of those duties. Eventually, they elected him onto the position permanently, and he has since played the role to the best of his ability.

Where Seungyoun and Yohan work well together, Seungwoo and Yohan got along famously almost as soon as Yohan stepped onto the ship. Yohan quickly became the captain's confidante, there to advise and counsel him at every turn. However, anyone can see that their relationship isn't purely professional. Seungyoun doesn't like to think about how much time they spend in the captain's quarters alone.

"Aye," Seungyoun says brightly. "When do we expect to get there by?"

"Two days? Maybe three?" Yohan looks up at the ratlines, where Hyeongjun's currently climbing up to the crow's nest. He leans close to Seungyoun, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "We reach the Pass tomorrow."

Those who live aboard are notoriously superstitious. It isn’t so surprising; after all, strange things happen at sea. Seungyoun is no exception. Everyone’s heard of the sirens that live at the Pass, beautiful human-like creatures with fishtails and voices sweet like honey. Some say they sing about a person’s fatal flaws. Others say they sing praises, sing for help, but one thing is clear; anyone who hears the siren’s song is compelled to come closer. Most drown, and others-- well, nobody knows, but they’re never seen again. 

Seungyoun pauses for a second.

"I have a request," he says carefully. Seungwoo would kill him if he had asked this of him, but Yohan. Yohan might listen.

Yohan tips his head to one side. "What is it?"

"I want to hear the song."

Almost immediately, Yohan shakes his head.

"Youn, I know you have a penchant for doing stupid things, but--" Yohan shakes his head again. "As your captain, Seungwoo would forbid it. Hell, _ I _ forbid it. I have the authority."

"You can tie me to the mast, nail me to deck," Seungyoun blurts out. "Anything."

“Why, though?” Yohan says pensively, leaning against the railing. “It’s dangerous. You know it is. So why?”

Seungyoun lets out a long sigh. 

“I don’t know.”

And for a moment, Yohan says nothing. Then, he huffs. 

“It’s your call, first mate. You know the sea.”

* * *

“We’re not letting you go,” Hangyul says sternly. “We’re not untying you under _ any _circumstances until we’re out of their reach.

Seungyoun nods, struggling against his bonds as a test. They barely give. Hangyul did a good job-- he would tell him so, but he knows that he wouldn’t hear him. 

Everyone on the crew either has their ears plugged with beeswax, is currently hiding in their quarters, or both. The only people above deck are Hangyul, who has been charged with looking after Seungyoun, Dongpyo, who is on the helm, and Minhee, who just likes bothering Dongpyo when he’s on the helm. And, of course, Seungyoun is bound to the aft mast facing the stern.

The wind begins to pick up, stirring up the waves. As the _ Butterfly _inches forward, it creaks and rocks a little. Stones trail behind the ship. They’ve reached the Pass.

And the sea does begin to sing. To Seungyoun’s surprise, it’s the same song, the song he hears every time he’s alone on the deck, every time he pricks his ears to listen. It grows louder and louder, but he’s certain that it’s the same one. 

Seungyoun opens his mouth to say something but shuts it after Hangyul tightens his grip on his hands. 

It’s a beautiful song, albeit a lonely one, a song sung in a language Seungyoun doesn’t understand and a vaguely familiar tune. They tell stories about sailors struggling in their bonds, begging to be set free, to be able to swim to the source of the sound, but Seungyoun stays eerily still on the mast, listening dumbfoundedly. 

Then, he spots the _ something _in the water again. And the singing comes to an abrupt halt.

It’s a person, a man. The man pokes his head out of the water almost shyly, revealing wide eyes so bright and shockingly gorgeous that Seungyoun feels compelled to get a closer look. But he still doesn’t move. When the person slinks back into the water, followed by a flash of glittering red, Seungyoun realizes with a shock that he has a smooth, streamlined tail instead of legs.

Seungyoun turns to Hangyul, but Hangyul shows no sign of having seen anything strange. He’s still staring at something far away, swaying a bit to the motion of the waves. 

The beautiful merman-- the _ siren _scrambles onto one of the rocks, exposing the oversized caudal fins sprouting out the end of his tail like a silken gown, scales glimmering in the afternoon sun. He watches Seungyoun just as intensely as Seungyoun stares at him, with rapt attention, wariness, and something like curiosity. For the first time since they reached the Pass, Seungyoun struggles, and Hangyul holds him tighter yet again. He lets out a frustrated cry.

And then the siren dives right back into the sea headfirst, disappearing beneath the waves. He leaves nothing but ripples in his wake.

* * *

“Hyung?” 

With Dohyon staring at him with wide eyes, Seungyoun feels an inkling of guilt. He had promised the crew that he wouldn’t be affected by the song, that he wouldn’t end up like the sailors in the stories. And now here he is, trying to single-handedly lower a whaleboat into the sea so that he may go back to the Pass alone.

“Dohyonnie,” Seungyoun says, giving him a weak wave. “Hi.”

Without a word, Dohyon begins to help him, holding on to one side of the whaleboat and gesturing at him to hold the other. When the boat’s in the water, Seungyoun carefully steps into it, barely rocking it with his weight. For a moment, he looks behind him.

“I trust you,” Dohyon says quietly. Seungyoun nods and begins to row away. 

“I’ll be back before sunup,” Seungyoun promises, hoping that this is one promise that he could keep. But, by this time, Dohyon’s already gone. 

Unsurprisingly, the whaleboat travels much slower than the ship.Seungyoun rows with all his might, leaving gentle trails and tiny whirlpools in the water. Thankfully, the wind’s on his side, blowing against his back and pushing the whaleboat forward. At one point, when he looks behind him, the _ Butterfly _has already begun to disappear, sails peeking out from the ocean mist. He continues to row in the direction of the setting sun.

It’s stupid. It’s dangerous. Seungwoo would strangle him. Yohan would delegate him to swabbing duty for the next year. Seungyoun doesn’t even know why he’s doing this-- is it because he still can’t believe his eyes and ears? Is he still being affected by the song, having been beseeched to come closer like all the sailors that were never seen again? 

By the time the sun is just a sliver of light above the sea, casting deep, colorful shadows over the horizon, the rocks of the Pass come into view. He begins to hear the song again, a haunting melody in the distance, but makes no motion to shy away. The song grows louder as he approaches. 

Seungyoun catches a glimpse of red scales on the rocks. He glances up.

The siren has his back turned towards him, lounging just below one of the cliffs and pensively watching something in the distance, chin tilted towards the sky. The iridescent scales on his tail glimmer even more brilliantly in the sunset, the sun’s dying light highlights gentle hints of red in his dark hair.

When he turns around and stops singing, Seungyoun briefly forgets how to breathe. The legends aren’t untrue. Even in the dimming light, he’s more beautiful than anything Seungyoun’s ever seen.

He appears to be startled by Seungyoun’s appearance, silhouette staying unsettlingly still. Then, he dives into the water. At first, Seungyoun wants to call out to him before he disappears again, tell him that he means no harm, but then he realizes that he’s actually swimming _ towards _his whaleboat.

When the siren suddenly pops up next to him, splashing a bit of water into his boat, he jumps.

“We’ve met.”

He speaks just as smoothly and sonorously as he sings, with a pleasant lilt at the end of his words. 

“H-have we?” Seungyoun replies, not at all gracefully. The siren blinks. 

“Your other boat. The one with the big wings.” He flicks his head, gesturing towards the direction from where Seungyoun had come. “We’ve met.”

“Ah.” Seungyoun lowers his oar, allowing the boat to drift. “So you’re real.”

The siren blinks again. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know,” Seungyoun admits, scratching his head. “I guess I just. Thought I was seeing things.” 

“Do you…have a name?” It seems like a silly question to ask, and by the way the siren chuckles at him, Seungyoun supposes that it was. 

“Wooseok,” he said simply. “And you?”

Wooseok. It’s simple, has a nice ring to it. Much more familiar than Seungyoun would have expected. 

“Seungyoun.” Seungyoun awkwardly holds his hand out, expecting Wooseok to shake it. Instead, he stares at it curiously before gently butting his head against it, leaning into his touch.

Once again, Seungyoun briefly forgets how to function. Despite having just been underwater, Wooseok’s hair doesn’t feel wet at all. It isn’t exactly dry either-- but it’s pleasant to the touch, almost paradoxically fluffy. Against his better judgement, he begins to run his fingers through. A few moments pass before he realizes that Wooseok is staring at him with judgement, and he immediately retracts his hand as if having touched a hot kettle.

“Seungyoun,” Wooseok says, sounding it out a little. Then, a thin smile reaches his lips. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

Briefly, Seungyoun thinks back to all the times he’s heard singing in the ocean, all the times he’s seen flashes of red scales in the sea. _ It’s nice to finally meet you, too. _

“But why?” He says out loud. “You’ve been following me. Why?”

Wooseok’s lips press into a line. Then, he suddenly surges forward, leaping into Seungyoun’s whaleboat. Seungyoun raises his arms, shielding himself from the barrage of seawater kicked up in the process. The boat rocks to the side for a moment, then settles down.

“Because you’re the ocean’s friend,” Wooseok says, resting his back against the gunwale. He’s sitting across from Seungyoun now, tail tucked underneath the stern seat and thwart. To Seungyoun, it doesn’t look at all like a comfortable position, but then again, Seungyoun has _ legs _.

Wooseok offers no further explanation as to what he means by ocean’s friend, instead continuing to stare out at sea. A few moments pass before he turns around to face Seungyoun again.

“Will you be my friend, too?”

Not knowing how else to respond, Seungyoun agrees. Wooseok smiles widely and leaps back into the water. 

* * *

When Seungyoun finally begins to row away, it’s still far before sunup. The moon’s still high in the sky, reflected by the sea over the horizon. However, it takes a while to row back to the ship; by the time he gets back, twilight has already begun to peek over the sky. Despite having plenty of experience and practice, his arms begin to grow sore, and they’re downright aching by the time he sees the _ Butterfly’s _sails again. 

He’s surprised to see that Dohyon is still on watch. Dohyon spots him first, already perched at the end of the stern. He helps Seungyoun onto the ship. Together, they lift the whaleboat back onto the deck.

“Where did you go?” Dohyon whispers fiercely. “What were you doing?”

“It wasn’t anything important,” Seungyoun assures him, shaking water off his hands. “Thanks for covering for me, kiddo.”

Dohyon stands still, a horrified expression on his face. “Uh.” 

“I’d like to know too, first mate.” Seungyoun freezes. It’s hard to not recognize Seungwoo’s smooth voice. The question is, when did he even get here?

Seungyoun turns around slowly. Seungwoo’s expression is unreadable, but he has his arms crossed over his chest, one foot tapping repeatedly on the deck with heeled boots. 

“Captain! Hi!”

Seungwoo nods in the direction of the bow. “Meet me in my quarters.”

Well. Someone’s in trouble. Seungwoo walks away, and as he follows, Seungyoun spots Dohyon giving him an apologetic glance from the stern. He shoots him a peace sign in response.

* * *

Seungwoo's quarters is the largest room onboard, but it's quite humble for that of a captain. There's a bed in the corner of the room, a desk and chair set in the middle, and a ceremonial scimitar hanging from one of the walls. He decorates simply, having none of Seungyoun's expensive tastes or Hangyul's penchant for collecting seemingly useless trinkets.

With a deep sigh, Seungwoo sits down behind his desk. There’s a naval chart spread out on top of it, held in place by his dagger.

“What were you thinking, Cho Seungyoun?”

To Seungyoun’s horror, Seungwoo’s voice isn’t at all angry. It feels like he’s being reprimanded by a disappointed father-- which he kinda is.

“Captain, I--”

“Did you go back to the Pass?”

Seungyoun closes his eyes, staying silent.

“Did you go back to the Pass, Seungyoun?” Seungwoo repeats gently, leaning closer. 

Seungyoun lets out a breath. “Aye, sir.” 

“Why?”

Seungwoo rests his chin on his fingers, and before Seungyoun could muster up a proper response, he continues.

“You do know how dangerous it is, right?”

Even by sailor standards, Seungwoo is superstitious. He’s been this way for as long as Seungyoun has known him. It’s not for no reason. With all his time spent aboard his childhood as a cabin boy, all the years he’s served in the navy from ordinary seaman to lieutenant, he’s definitely seen some shit. He’s told Seungyoun stories, though Seungyoun’s always had a sneaking suspicion that he doesn’t know it all.

“Aye, sir,” Seungyoun says again, head lowered to the deck. 

For a long time, both of them stay quiet. Seungwoo taps his fingers against the naval desk. The rhythm is regular, almost maddeningly against the silence. Seungyoun lets his eyes wander, observing the markings on the chart. the dagger is stuck in the spot that marks the Pass.

“Did you meet a siren?” Seungwoo asks suddenly, breaking the silence.

When Seungyoun nods mutely, Seungwoo leans closer yet again, listening intently.

“He’s not dangerous, sir. I think…” Seungyoun hesitates for a moment. “I think he just wanted a friend.”

“Don’t we all,” Seungwoo replies with a wry smile.

Seungwoo stands up and stretches. “Well. As long as you know what you’re doing, first mate. Dismissed.”

* * *

It went smoothly, Seungyoun thinks, surprisingly so. Seungwoo hadn’t even seemed disappointed-- he was just _ curious _. It’s a strange look on him, weathered and jaded seafarer he is. 

Seungyoun doesn’t get much sleep. When he wakes up in the morning, the sun’s barely past the first yard of the mizzenmast, going about its journey languidly in the skies. Not having been woken up for a watch, he immediately makes a beeline for the bow of the ship.

Hyeongjun’s there, too, staring at something in the distance. Seungyoun takes a spot next to him, leaning on the gunwale.

There’s a flash of red scales in the water again. Seungyoun looks over at Hyeongjun, but like Hangyul at the Pass, the younger shows no sign of having seen it.

“Hyeongjunnie,” Seungyoun ventures carefully, “do you believe in mermaids?”

Hyeongjun stares at him for a moment, frowning. “All of a sudden?”

Seungyoun shrugs. “I guess I’m just curious.”

“I mean,” Hyeongjun frowns, scrunching his face as he thinks. It’s very cute. The entire crew probably agrees that everything he does is cute. He’s Hyeongjun. “I don’t see why not. We’ve seen some very big squids. There are fish the size of ships.”

“Whales aren’t fish, Hyeongjunnie.”

Hyeongjun throws up his hands. “Whatever! The point is, there are weirder things out there. A magical fish person isn’t too far-fetched.”

“Mm.”

Seungyoun faces the front again. By now, Wooseok’s long gone. The ocean begins to sing again.

* * *

The second time Seungyoun rows out by himself, he doesn’t have to travel so far. He finds Wooseok waiting for him just a couple of miles off the _ Butterfly’s _port side, floating leisurely on his back in the middle of the open sea. 

“Seungyoun.” Wooseok practically sings his name out, and it echoes hauntingly into the night. Seungyoun sinks one side of his oar into the water, pushing forward and effectively stopping the boat. Then, Wooseok swims closer, lashing his tail to keep afloat. Seungyoun could see a distorted image of his bare torso in the water. He tries to not stare, but the siren’s skin is milky, pale, flawless. It’s strange. One would think that spending so much time in seawater would seriously dry you out.

“You came to see me again.” He tips his head to the side. “I didn’t know if you would.”

Seungyoun hums. “And you followed my ship.”

“Where else would I go?”

There’s a sort of deep sadness in Wooseok’s voice. For some reason, it chills Seungyoun to the bone. 

“Are you...alone?”

Wooseok affirms this with a small noise. He props himself up on the whaleboat’s freeboard, causing the boat to turn over just a bit. Seungyoun shifts back to balance him out.

“I wasn’t always,” Wooseok continues after a few beats. “They went to land. That’s why there aren’t many of us left.” After saying this, he begins to laugh. It’s cold, bitter, not at all pleasant.

“But I know you’re not alone. It must be nice.” At this point, Wooseok flips himself into the boat again, and they rock in the water for a bit while he makes himself comfortable. “I don’t ever see myself going to land. Mortality sounds frightening.” 

Seungyoun has no shortage of questions to ask him, and Wooseok has questions too-- it’s been a while since he’s talked to a human, he says. They either don’t trust him or want to capture him like an animal. He learns that when mermaids choose to grow legs, they give up immortality, and in most cases, give up the ocean. However, they still do it for a multitude of reasons, whether it’s out of love, boredom, curiosity, or all three. Meanwhile, Wooseok learns that shallowater krakens have largely gone extinct, so humans have begun to settle on the coasts again. 

“My friends can’t see you, can’t hear you,” Seungyoun asks him suddenly, after a short stretch of silence. “Why is that?”

Wooseok blinks. “Because I want you to see me.”

“Why?”

“I wanted to be your friend.” Wooseok’s picking at his fingers, and this is when Seungyoun realizes that he’s _ nervous _. It’s kinda cute.

They talk through the night, and by the time light reaches the sky again, Seungyoun’s almost completely forgotten about his commitment to being back on the ship by sunup.

* * *

After two nights of noticing whaleboat oars missing from the dock, Yohan grows suspicious, so he begins to take the sunset watch with Seungyoun. This is when Seungyoun realizes that Seungwoo never told him anything. 

So, Seungyoun hopes that Wooseok won’t feel too sad when he doesn’t row off to visit him later, but something tells him that he’ll understand. Instead, he dutifully takes his watch on the crow’s nest, keeping one eye on a very restless Yohan wandering around the ship and another on the calm sea. 

Sometime through the night, Seungyoun begins to doze off. He’s startled awake when a drop of rain hits his nose. He shakes himself off, standing up straight and trying his best to pay attention to what’s ahead.

It’s from quite a distance, but Wooseok’s scales flash in the water again. From just beyond, he spots the top of a tall palm tree beyond the clouds.

“Land ho!” He shouts to the rest of the ship, filling his lungs with as much air as possible. “Land ho, crew! We’ve reached port!”

* * *

They’ve landed in a small shipbuilding town nestled within a natural harbor. They dock their ship within, handing off a large pile of gold coins and a barrel of rum over to a local carpenter to cover the repair costs. 

Dongpyo’s ecstatic to touch land again, practically kissing the ground beneath his feet. Minhee laughs and drags him along. Meanwhile, Junho staggers off the plank, arms slung over Eunsang’s shoulders. Yohan helps a very seasick Hyeongjun off the ship, and Dohyon clings to Seungwoo’s side as he steps down. None of them are close to getting their land legs back.

There’s a telltale flash of red in the sea, and Seungyoun narrows his eyes. So Wooseok followed them here, too. 

“You okay, Youn?”

Seungyoun blinks. Hangyul’s waving a hand in front of his face.

“Never been better,” he assures him. “How long has it been?”

“Too long.” Hangyul lifts his chin towards the direction of the town. “They have an inn here. How about you and I finally get something good to drink, first mate?”

So they do just that. The rum here is alright, but they don’t stay for long-- for some reason, none of them ever remember how terrible Hangyul’s tolerance is for a pirate, getting red-faced after just a couple of drinks, so Seungyoun drags him over to one of the inn rooms Yohan bought for all of them, all while dodging many suspicious stains on the floorboards. 

“Hi, Dohyon,” Seungyoun huffs. Hangyul is decidedly not a light person to carry, which makes his pitiful alcohol capacity even more puzzling. “Mind taking care of him?”

Dohyon squints at him. “And where are you going? Do I have to cover for your ass again?”

“Bye, Dohyonnie!”

After dumping Hangyul onto one of the beds, Seungyoun immediately peaces out and heads towards the sea. There are torches lighting his way along an unfamiliar cobblestone path.

He doesn’t know where he’s going, isn’t quite sure where the path leads, but he’s lead to an empty dock on the beach, one that stretches all the way out into deep water. There, who should be waiting for him but Wooseok, arms resting on the dock and fingers tapping on the wood.

He feels a twinge of guilt knowing how he’d left the siren hanging the other night, but Wooseok doesn’t look angry or disappointed. Just bored, like he’s been here for a while.

“Hey,” Seungyoun says, sitting down cross-legged in front of him. “How’s land?”

Wooseok scowls. “Boring. It’s not like I can get out of the water.”

It might be the alcohol, but Seungyoun laughs so hard that he can barely feel his lungs. 

“The ink on your skin. The palm trees.”

“Oh,” Seungyoun turns his arm around, rolling up his tunic sleeve. “Yeah. My tattoo. I didn’t think you’d notice.”

Wooseok does that thing where he tips his head to the side again. God. Why must be always be so cute? “Is it to remind you of land?”

Seungyoun hesitates, taken aback.

“I’ve...never thought about it like that, to be honest,” he says. “But I think that’s right. I’ve always liked palm trees. They’re the first tree you see when you’ve reached the coast.”

Wooseok beams at that, slightly raising himself out of the water. “It’s pretty.”

Somehow, Seungyoun doesn’t think he should be the one hearing this. The flickering torch flames, the incandescent moonlight, all of it serves to light Wooseok’s face in a way that makes him look...Well, pretty is an understatement.

Dammit. Seungyoun shouldn’t have gone to the inn with Hangyul. He’s caught the man’s piss-poor alcohol tolerance. 

“Thanks,” Seungyoun says, also beaming. Suddenly, he has an idea, and he stands up.

“Wait right here, Wooseok. I think you’ll like this.”

He leaves a confused Wooseok in the water, though it’s just for a few minutes. When he returns, he’s holding a lute in his hands. Contraband, but brand new.

“It’s a lute,” he tells Wooseok, grinning. “I stole it from the inn.”

Wooseok glances at it with a fascinated but still confused expression on his face. “What does it do?”

“It makes music! Listen!” 

Seungyoun begins to play, and as soon as the first note leaves the instrument, Wooseok’s face practically lights up in delight. In an attempt to impress him, Seungyoun plays the tune he often hears from Wooseok.

“It’s beautiful,” Wooseok says in awe. “It’s like a voice. But it’s not.”

Beautiful, Seungyoun thinks. Now that’s a word. 

The music echoes through the night. Seungyoun grins widely as the tune he plays reaches a crescendo. At some point, Wooseok begins to sing along, and his haunting song becomes a harrowing duet. At the same time, it stops sounding so lonely. 

And it's strange, how time becomes fluid when they're together. Again, Seungyoun thinks about how it may just be the rum but somehow, he doubts it. They sing and laugh and talk through the night, and Seungyoun doesn’t leave Wooseok’s side until light almost reaches the sky. 


	2. sea.

It isn’t long before they’re setting off again, sails filled against the wind, bow headed by roaring waves. The _ Butterfly _is as strong and fast as ever, and they choose a day that’s windy, but not overbearingly so. 

Seungyoun finds himself taking more lookout shifts. Whenever he’s on the crow’s nest, his eyes are glued to the sea, constantly searching for a certain something in the water. Wooseok follows a bit closer now, and he’s gotten a lot bolder, sometimes raising his head to the surface and giving Seungyoun a quick wave before diving back in. It makes him smile. They’ve certainly become fast friends, and Seungyoun does love making friends.

As Seungyoun spends his days dozing away on the crow’s nest, with Yohan tossing otherwise strictly-rationed fruit at him to keep him awake, occasionally yelling at Minhee and Dongyo to _ please stop fighting over who can rig a line the fastest because that’s not a very good way to assure the lines would be properly rigged _, something eventually changes. One day, Wooseok suddenly stops meeting him altogether.

There's a night where Seungyoun tries rowing the whaleboat back out at sea. To his disappointment but not necessarily surprise, there's still no sign of Wooseok. He waits for hours and hours, drifting aimlessly amongst the waves. When the sun finally touches the sky, he grows disheartened and begins to row back to the ship.

However, when he boards the _Butterfly_ again, there's another ship over the horizon.

“Is that a whaling schooner? So far from the coast?” Seungyoun whispers to Minhee, who turns to him with a glare. 

“Where _ were _you, first mate?” He hisses. 

“Yes,” Junho answers for him. “It’s carrying a lot of loot. We’re about to board.”

“Seungyoun! How nice of you to join us!” Seungyoun freezes. What’s with Seungwoo and sneaking up on him these days? 

“Hi!” Seungyoun says sheepishly. “Sorry, captain. I was just--”

“Get your weapons. We’re about to start.” With that, Seungwoo takes a ratline, pushing off the mast with his feet to swing himself over to the enemy ship. Hangyul and Yohan follow in tow. 

A testament to their mercenary-trained prowess, Hangyul nails the landing on the deck, and Yohan quickly rolls to recover as he falls headfirst, instantly clashing with a small gaggle of seamen dressed in rags. Seungwoo crashes in with an audible thud, joining Hanyul as he fends off three armed men. 

All of this happens while Dongpyo’s on the helm, circling the schooner and driving the two ships closer together. After Minhee and Junho board from the plank while the rest of the enemy crew is occupied, practically tiptoeing across hand-in-hand, Seungyoun draws his blade and makes the jump, not even bothering to swing across. 

One man surrenders immediately, having been left without a weapon. Another crosses blades with him for a second, but he almost immediately disarms him and ties him to the mast.

The fighting doesn’t last long. The whalers have hired a few seamen and a couple of mercenaries, but the seamen aren’t skilled and the mercenaries are easily overrun by the _ Butterfly’s _many fighters. Quite honestly, in any other situation, Seungyoun would feel bad for picking on such a small ship, but they’re whalers. It’s pretty hard to feel bad for whalers. 

As soon as they have the entirety of the schooner’s company either in ropes or overboard, Seungyoun goes down to scout the cargo hold with his captain.

Seungyoun shudders. “I hope we don’t see any dead whales,” he says, to which Seungwoo rolls his eyes.

“It’s a whaling schooner, first mate. What else are we gonna see? Mermaids?”

In hindsight, he wished that Seungwoo hadn’t tempted fate like that. What they found lying in a shallow pool of seawater that must’ve seeped in when the ship had a leak, wrapped in a mess of nets, ropes, and cuts, was nothing other than a beautiful man with the face of an angel and the streamlined tail of a fish that ended in a flourish of veil-like caudal fins. 

While Seungyoun’s eyes are still adjusting to the darkness, he freezes. 

“Wooseok?”

On the plus side, they do not end up seeing any dead whales.

* * *

“I definitely believe in mermaids now,” Hyeongjun announces, eyes still wide with shock. 

Wooseok’s shockingly light, and it only really takes Seungyoun to haul him over to their ship, slinging his waist across his shoulder-- either this is just how sirens are or the whalers haven’t even bothered to feed him. Seungyoun desperately hopes that it’s the former, but what else can you expect from whalers? 

“I don’t think he can swim just yet,” Seungwoo frowns, observing all the cuts on his skin and the gaps in his scales. “He’s going to have to stay with us for a while.” 

He shoots a pointed glance at Seungyoun, who ducks away. 

They have Wooseok placed in a wooden tub in the spare quarters, which isn’t ideal, but it’s not like there are many other options. The siren falls asleep almost immediately after they feed him, had barely been conscious for the entirety of his relocation. Poor thing. 

After a few hours of anxiously pacing around on deck, dealing with confused glances from the kids and questioning glares from Yohan, Seungyoun goes down to visit. Wooseok’s awake now, but also barely _ here _. 

“Hey,” Seungyoun says, taking a seat in front of him. Wooseok greets him with a small smile. 

“I’m-- don’t worry about me,” Wooseok tells him, and it’s like he can tell what he’s thinking. He’s clutching a bandage on his arm; earlier, Hangyul, the only one on board with any semblance of medical experience, dressed his wounds with salve and cut cloth. “It happens.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.” Wooseok shrugs, then winces. “Mankind-- they used to be good. I was friends with them, I visited their towns on the coast. They left gifts. Talked to me. Treated me like one of them.”

Seungyoun draws in a breath as Wooseok continues, shifting in the tub.

“They became. Mean. I don’t know what they wanted from me, Seungyoun. But as the generations went on-- I don’t know. I went under the sea for decades. And when I met you, I thought I could trust them again, but--”

There’s a shadow in Wooseok’s eyes, a darkness that Seungyoun realizes that he never really noticed. He’s been around for so much longer than anyone he knows. He’s lived for hundreds of years, given his trust so many times and has been betrayed so many times. But one thing’s certain-- he took a gamble, put himself in danger, trusted Seungyoun, called him a friend. And for what?

“I’m sorry,” Seungyoun mutters. “I put you in danger, didn’t I?”

Wooseok squints at him. “What? Seungyoun, no. You were what I needed. You’re a friend.” 

At this point, Wooseok reaches out to take him by the hand. Seungyoun can do nothing but stay still, bewildered. 

“I haven’t met anyone as warm as you for a long time. I wish they could all be like you.”

This makes Seungyoun crack a smile. He takes Wooseok’s other hand. It’s still strange to him, how _ soft _Wooseok’s skin feels. His own hands begin to shrivel as soon as he puts them in the water. 

“I don’t know what it’s worth, but you can trust anyone on this ship. They’d all love to be your friends.”

“Oh, I know!” Wooseok says brightly. “Some of them came to visit! I like Hangyul, he’s nice. Eunsang asks weird questions, but he’s fun.”

“Your captain-- what’s his name, Seungwoo?” Wooseok leans in, whispering conspiratorially. “He’s really handsome.”

For some reason, that makes Seungyoun stiffen. Of course, it’s a fact-- Captain Seungwoo is prohibitively handsome, and Seungyoun’s had his share of puppy crushes on him, but. But. 

(Maybe, then, it hadn’t just been the rum, that night on the dock. Wooseok’s beautiful-- what’s the harm in saying it?)

* * *

“Captain,” Seungyoun says hesitantly, swirling his tankard. As pirates, of course, they always have rum on board. However, with how much there is to do all the time, most of them hardly have any spare time to drink, much less the captain and first mate. Getting to drink with Seungwoo is a rare instance that should most definitely be cherished.

“Have you ever seen a mermaid?”

“Oh, lots,” Seungwoo says, waving him off and taking another large sip. “They loved being around navy ships. Sang for us, brought extra morale to the fleets. For most of us, they became our only friends.” 

He looks up for a moment, pensive. “There aren’t too many of them these days. It’s weird.”

Seungyoun puts his drink down. “Wooseok told me they all went to land.”

“Is that so? Can they just do that? Huh. I guess it makes sense.” Seungwoo frowns, leaning against the bulkhead. “There was this one lady I saw at the Pass-- a couple of years later, I could have sworn it was she I met at King’s Port. And she had _ legs_. And--” he suddenly looks over at Seungyoun, then shakes his head. “Nevermind.” 

Seungyoun looks at him strangely. 

“But I don’t get it. What, then, is the difference between sirens and mermaids? Why are sirens dangerous?”

Seungwoo finishes his rum and pours out some more. Then, he chokes out a laugh. 

“None, first mate. The merfolk _are _dangerous, the ones who never traded their immortality for legs. They’ve gotten mean. Sailors broke their trust, so they took revenge.” Seungwoo’s smiling, but it’s lopsided, sarcastic. “And I don’t blame them one bit. But they’re dangerous. It’s a miracle that we seemed to have found a nice one.”

_ We. _

At this time, Yohan comes in. It’s raining lightly outside, so his hair is sticking to his face a little, tiny drops of water dotting his cheeks and forehead. 

“Quartermaster!” Seungyoun exclaims, giving him a wave as he walks across the deck. 

“Then-- who’s on the helm?”

Yohan rolls his eyes and puts an arm around Seungwoo. “Dongpyo, cap. I wouldn’t just leave the helm unattended. I know the sea.”

Whether it’s because of the assurance or Yohan’s touch, Seungwoo visibly relaxes. 

“So,” Yohan says, taking a sip from Seungwoo’s tankard. “What were you guys talking about?”

* * *

(Wooseok adjusts well to life on board. He begins to heal, begins to talk with the others. Hyeongjun is extremely cute, practically gaping at him whenever he comes in. Dongpyo and Minhee often come together, and they’re always a treat, bickering and teaching him to play games. Junho is shy, but they get along. Dohyon and Eunsang ask questions all the time, Hangyul regularly checks up on his wounds, and Seungwoo has been nothing but kind and accommodating (and handsome). And, of course, Seungyoun visits whenever he has a moment of free time, a sentiment he thoroughly appreciates. 

However, there’s one person who hasn’t yet been to see him at all. And that’s a shame because that’s the person he wants to see the most. 

Eventually, it does happen. Footsteps were still an unfamiliar sound to Wooseok, but by this time, he’s begun to recognize them, realize that each member of the crew has their own pattern. One day, he hears a completely unfamiliar pattern. 

Wooseok snaps his head up. “Yohan?”

Yohan smiles, flashing his bunny teeth. “Wooseok.” 

When he’s right in front of him like this, Wooseok could hardly believe that he ever doubted it was him. Yohan’s the same as ever. Well, not exactly-- for one, he’s standing upright. 

“I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.” His voice is light, joking, but there’s a sadness between his words that Wooseok is all too familiar with.

“Mm,” Wooseok hums in response, a quiet agreement. They’re speaking in the language of humans, likely because they’re aboard a human ship, but that’s an interesting thought. Does Yohan even remember their tongue? 

“You confuse me, Yohan,” Wooseok says, trying his best to keep the bite out of his words. He’s not trying to be mean, but it’s not exactly in his nature to be tactful. “I thought you grew legs to escape from the sea. Why are you still here?”

It’s strange. The appeal of the sea is that the ones who wander are completely free-- free to swim anywhere, do anything, swim against or with the currents. However, with legs and lungs, humans are cursed to stay aboard these wooden prisons and go only where the winds will them to. It’s strange that Yohan would give up that freedom just to stay at sea, even barring immortality. 

Yohan shrugs. “Land got boring.” 

Wooseok is very good at detecting lies. It doesn’t help that Yohan has always, always been an awful liar. Fortunately, Wooseok is also very good at piecing things together, so the awkward silence between them doesn’t last very long.

“The captain,” Wooseok says, sitting up a bit. The little runt of a tub they’ve put him in can hardly even accommodate his tail, let alone his entire body reclined. A part of him can hardly wait to swim in the sea again. “Is he-- was that the human you fell for?” 

Yohan’s silence speaks volumes. Then, a smile creeps its way up to his face.

“Lovely, isn’t he?”

Growing legs was never a trade, thought Wooseok. It’s giving up eternal life and the freedom of the seas. It’s always been a sacrifice, something only done if there’s a strong enough reason to do it. 

And, frankly, the thought of it terrifies him.)

* * *

“Wooseok,” Seungyoun says one day, face stretched wide into a grin. “Let’s go swimming.”

At this proposition, Wooseok visibly lights up. He’s been healing well, and at this point, it’d be dangerous to leave him into the sea, but he’s clearly gotten tired of just lying around all day. So, Seungyoun carries him out of the berth and over to the edge of the plank.

“I’m just going to toss you if that’s alright.”

Wooseok shrugs. “Go for it.”

He lands in the water with a splash, then immediately begins to swim around in the water. Seungyoun hesitates for a moment, then dives in after him, landing awkwardly on his stomach and kicking seawater into the ship behind him.

“I’ve forgotten how awkward humans were,” Wooseok says with a laugh. “You’re like a turtle with a broken leg.”

Seungyoun turns to him with an affronted gasp, then splashes seawater into his eyes. However, Wooseok does happen to be a mermaid, so he only laughs harder, apparently unfazed. Then, he turns tail and begins to swim away from the ship. 

“Hey!”

Seungyoun chases him, but Wooseok doesn’t go even remotely easy on him, swimming further and further away from sight.

All this happens while Seungyoun struggles to keep afloat, kicking his feet into the water. As a sailor, of _course_ he knows how to swim. But there’s simply no way to match Wooseok’s strength, speed, or sheer _ energy _in his element, even in his weakened state.

They make circles around the ship, dive underneath the water, racing against the waves. 

“Seungyoun,” Wooseok says to him once they’ve both tired themselves out, clinging to the hull of the _ Butterfly _ for support. The sun’s beginning to set, coloring the sea until it’s like blood and fire. More than the sea, the sun colors Wooseok, highlighting the reds in his hair, lighting up his visage in a way that transforms him from pretty to impossibly beautiful. “Do you ever think about going on land?”

“Like, right now? Kind of.” 

“No,” Wooseok rolls his eyes. “I mean going on _ land._ Retiring from piracy altogether. Moving to a quaint coastal village or something.”

Seungyoun immediately wrinkles his nose. “Me? No way. I was practically born here.”

Wooseok smiles and says something quietly, something that sounds like ‘ocean’s friend’, whatever that means. He’s never really given a straight answer.

“That’s good,” Wooseok’s lips quirk. “That means we’ll always see each other.”

“Always,” Seungyoun replies with a smile of his own.

It gets late. Wooseok lets Seungyoun lift him out of the sea, carry him bridal-style back to the guest quarters and gently lower him into the hammock. They’ve long stopped using the tub, what with Wooseok complaining that it’s hard and uncomfortable and it’s not like he’d dry up without water. Hammocks, Seungyoun supposes, offer the freedom of swinging around, and they gently sway as if in the water. He likes them for the same reason.

It’s unfair, Seungyoun thinks, how the merfolk can grow legs whenever they want, but it’s impossible for humans to grow a tail. If it meant he could always be at sea, always be free from the wind’s tyranny, following his ship and being able to explore beyond and beneath the water, he’d abandon the prospect of ever returning to land in a heartbeat. Plus, there’s eternity. Eternity with Wooseok, playing in the sea and racing against the waves. 

_ With Wooseok_. Seungyoun catches himself. Where had that come from?

It’s late, but they talk. Their conversation falls into meaningless banter, then comfortable silence.

Candlewax is a commodity aboard the ship, one that only ever comes up in loot once in a while, so it’s frequently dark in the cabins, especially at night. However, in the wee hours between sunset and darkness, Seungyoun often thinks that Wooseok gives off a strange light of his own. It might be the dying sun reflecting itself off his scales. It might be the dim light illuminating his figure in the perfect way. Or, the way Seungyoun sees it, he’s so beautiful that he glows. 

Before he knows it, Seungyoun’s asleep as well, lulled into rest by Wooseok’s rhythmic breathing sounds. He dreams about having a tail of his own, chasing Wooseok deep under the surface, laughing and swimming far, far away from land. And yet, he also dreams of sailing with Wooseok, imagines him above the surface, standing by his side, all windswept hair and sunlit smiles. He dreams of clear days, cloudy skies, and then of devastating storms. 

* * *

(In the meantime, Wooseok falls.)

* * *

“So soon? Are you sure you’re strong enough?”

Wooseok rolls his eyes. “Hangyul cleared me a week ago, Seungyoun. I’ve handled worse. It’ll be okay.”

It’s true. Wooseok had healed extraordinarily quickly, and it hadn’t taken long for him to basically look as good as new, albeit prohibitively bored and constantly fidgeting. At this point, staying aboard would do him far more harm than good. 

“Alright.” Seungyoun sits down on the edge of the plank, crossing his legs. “I’ll miss you.”

It’s a strange choice of words. Seungyoun knows this. It’s not like he’ll never see him again-- rather, it’s likely that he will continue to tail the ship, following along as they continue their voyage to wherever the current wants to take them. But, frankly, Seungyoun’s gotten used to having Wooseok by his side. Their late-night conversations, their swims, their lute duets, and of course--

Just before Seungyoun can stand up and return to the ship, Wooseok grabs onto the edge of the plank and hoists himself up, sitting right on the edge. Under both their weight, the poor piece of wood begins to give a little, but it supports them. Of course. It’s supported them several times before. 

“Wooseok, what--”

And suddenly, Wooseok grabs the back of Seungyoun’s neck with both hands. It should have been a shocking sensation; they’re wet and cold from seawater, but Wooseok’s touch feels electric in his own way, so much so that it’s the only thing he notices. 

“Can I?” Wooseok asks him, and suddenly, he’s just as small and shy as he was on the day he asked Seungyoun to be his friend. But this time, he’s asking for something so much more, something dangerous, something potentially harmful. At this time, neither of them realize this. 

So Seungyoun gives him the tiniest of nods, and suddenly, Wooseok crashes against him like waves in a storm. Suddenly, all he can feel is the sensation of Wooseok’s lips on his own, the taste of salt and something sweet lingering on his tongue. Wooseok kisses like the sea, flows against him like a current that promises to take him home. However, there’s something about it that promises days with stormy skies, with turbulence, with gale-force winds that tear entire ships to shreds. By the time they part, Seungyoun’s drunk on the feeling of rocking in the gentle sea, but still wants more, wants to experience the _ thrill _of stormy skies, of turbulence, of gale-force winds that tear entire ships to shreds. 

“Wooseok--”

However, when they part, Wooseok immediately leaps headfirst into the sea, disappearing beneath the waves with a flash of red, leaving nothing but ripples in his wake. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! i just wanted to thank all of you for the support i've gotten so far ^^ this is my first x1 fic so i was rly nervous abt posting this lmao  
this part is. a lot shorter. and not really fun. but the next one is coming soon so look forward to that :D


	3. storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hold on to your hats, folks. a lot of Stuff happens here

Days pass. Then weeks, weeks of floating over gentle seas, then of sailing through high winds and under churning clouds-- for Seungyoun, weeks of standing at the bow, the wind sometimes blowing at his back and sometimes against his face. Weeks of searching, scanning the vast seas and wishing, hoping, _ waiting _.

_ It means we’ll always see each other. _

The ocean doesn’t sing to him. Not anymore. Instead, it berates him with the sound of crashing waves, chides him with sprays of ocean mist. The silence is jarring, so much so that Seungyoun makes a habit out of bringing his lute with him to the bow and strumming songs to the sounds of the sea, playing for whatever’s _ out there _. 

Today, Seungyoun’s sitting on the edge of the bow again, lute resting next to him. Occasionally, he plays it, but he finds that every time he runs out of tunes to play, he defaults to the ocean’s song. Wooseok’s song. It hurts him, so he stops. 

Usually, he could hear the instrument over the sound of the roaring wind. However, the wind masks the sound of footsteps behind him, and that allows Yohan to sneak up on him.

“Hey, Youn.”

“Yohan. Hi.” Seungyoun looks back at him. “Is it my watch already?”

Yohan picks up the lute and hands it back to him to clear the space, then takes a seat. 

“You’ve got a few more minutes,” he assures him. 

They sit in silence for a while, nothing between them but the sound of the wind, the crashing of the waves. 

Eventually, Yohan asks Seungyoun if he can hold his lute. Without thinking much of it, Seungyoun gives it to him.

Yohan doesn’t strum it. Instead, he holds it reverently, running his hands along the polished wood. 

“Is this the same one you stole from the inn?”

Seungyoun cracks a smile. “Yeah.”

“Well,” Yohan says. “I suppose we _ are _pirates.”

To that, Seungyoun throws his head back and laughs out loud. Yes, they’re pirates, but it’s not like they’re any _ good _at being pirates. 

Yohan hums, placing the lute gently back down on Seungyoun’s lap. “I’ve always wanted to learn how to play one of these.”

“It’s never too late.”

“True.” 

There’s another stretch of silence. The wind is much more vigorous now, and the _ Butterfly _noticeably speeds up. Seungyoun makes a note to luff the gaff sail a little when he has to go on watch. 

“Don’t worry about him.”

Seungyoun blinks. “What?”

“He didn’t leave you. He never will.” Something mysterious twinkles in Yohan’s eyes. It reminds Seungyoun of scales in the sun. “He misses you, first mate.”

Seungyoun’s hand tightens on the railing, clenching into a fist. “Then why doesn’t he come back to me?” 

Yohan closes his eyes and turns towards the sea, hair ruffling in the wind. He’s looking at something far, far away, beyond the waves, beyond even the rising sun. 

“Give him some time,” he tells Seungyoun, and for some reason, Seungyoun feels something heavy lift off his chest. “He’ll come back to you.”

Seungyoun lets out a breath.

“Alright. I trust you.” 

* * *

Wooseok kisses like the sea. 

This time, he’s a storm. He’s turbulent, unpredictable, insistent, like the wind that drags the poor current to her whims. He’s a wave that claws at the shore, a tide that swallows entire coastal villages. He’s a ripple in the water, a whirlpool that threatens to drag Seungyoun under.

Seungyoun tries to kiss back with equal vigor, but there’s simply no matching his energy, his passion when he’s in his element. This is when he realizes that they’re under the sea, that Wooseok’s hair is floating above him like kelp, that his own breath comes out in bubbles that float to the surface. 

“--Seok,” Seungyoun gasps. “Beautiful.”

When Wooseok kisses him again, he closes his eyes. Wooseok is the sea, and this time, he thinks he’s beginning to drown. The storm tears him to shreds.

Wooseok bites on his lips, forces his tongue into his mouth, and all Seungyoun can do is relax and _ drift _, sink into the feeling of Wooseok exploring him, into the sweet and salty taste of Wooseok’s lips.

He doesn’t open his eyes until after they part. 

However, when he opens his eyes, he doesn’t see Wooseok’s face against the backdrop of the endless sea. Instead, he wakes up in his quarters, to darkness, to an unpleasant backache after spending another night sleeping on hard plank. The hammock’s empty. 

* * *

“Seungyoun.” 

Seungyoun groans unintelligibly. It’s Hangyul who shakes him awake, eyes all grim and serious, face strewn and tense.

“What?” Seungyoun says eloquently, drooling from his mouth.

“There’s a storm. We need all hands on deck.” 

The ship does seem to rock a bit. Hangyul takes him by the hand, leads him above deck. As they leave the berth, the wind hits Seungyoun’s face almost immediately. The sky is almost completely dark overhead, clouds swirling and heavy with pouring rain. Lighting flashes in the distance, although it’s too far away for them to hear any thunder.

They’ve been sailing in relatively calm waters for several weeks now. It seems like they’ve tempted fate. 

Seungyoun finds Seungwoo at the helm, Dongpyo clinging to his back. A few steps away, Yohan struggles to loosen the mainsheets on the sails. They’ve got trysails up for two of the jib sails, but it isn’t enough. The _ Butterfly _is surging forward at almost forty knots, and it’s a miracle that she’s kept it together for this long.

“Captain!” Seungyoun yells out, shielding the wind with his hand. “What happened?”

“I’ll tell you what,” Seungwoo says with a cold laugh. “We’ve sailed right into the mouth of Charybdis.” 

The _ Butterfly _is capsizing now, tipping to her side while the winds rip her wings apart. Minhee, Junho, and Eunsang rush to get the whaleboats into the water. They’ve got two of them, and all of them should fit, but…

“Leave me,” Seungwoo insists. “The captain goes down with his ship. Go. I’ll try to save her.”

The wind blows Seungyoun back.

“There’s no saving her, cap,” he seethes. “Come with us. Please.”

When Seungwoo doesn’t respond, continues to stand alone in the eye of the storm, Seungyoun takes several steps forward, struggling against the wind.

“This isn’t the navy, cap. We’re pirates.” He reaches out a hand. “We stick together. We’re nothing without you.”

That makes Seungwoo look up. Through his bangs, tears fill his eyes.

In the corner of his eye, Seungyoun catches Yohan step forward on the deck, pleading eyes reflecting dark clouds.

“We need you. _ I _ need you,” he says, breath shaky. Seungwoo turns over to him. “I’ve already made a sacrifice for you, captain. I did it to stay with you. Please, Seungwoo, _ please-- _”

And that’s all it takes. Seungwoo gives him a slight nod, barely noticeable, barely there, and lets Yohan lead him onto one of the whaleboats. He has a hand on Seungwoo’s waist, gentle as if the captain were a fragile doll in danger of breaking at any moment. Just as the whaleboat begins to slip away, they step in, only barely rocking it as the rest of the crew balances out their weight.

Another bout of wind blows the ship astray, and this is when Seungyoun realizes that he’s _ still on deck. _

Hangyul tries his best to row the other whaleboat back to the ship, but the storm’s against him, the waves practically sweep him away. From a distance, Seungyoun could spot Dohyon gripping the gunwale for dear life, Junho with his hands tightened around an hour whispering prayers to cloudy skies, Hyeongjun with his head in his arms sobbing quietly at the sea. 

Seungyoun grabs onto the gaff sail. He vaguely remembers tearing a piece off before the wind blows him into the sea.

* * *

Seungyoun always thought he’d die by drowning. Either that or some angry city folks decide they’re having a bad day and feed him to the birds.

When he gets blown into the sea, swept underwater by relentless waves, he finds it almost prophetic. There’s nothing sad about it. He’s given his entire life to the ocean, so this is simply the ocean taking the rest of him. He could swim, but the current is too strong, the waves still relentless, so he simply lets go. The ocean drags him under, pulling him by the feet. When he attempts to open his eyes, all he can see is endless blue. All he can feel is the sea rushing past him, batting him around like a ragdoll. As his body sinks into the sea, as his breath slowly slips away, everything begins to go dark.

It doesn’t register to Seungyoun that he’ll never see them again. The _ Butterfly _ , the ship that pulled him from a meandering life on land. The crew that gave him companionship, that gave him _ comradery _ in the high seas, the crew that stuck with him through thick and thin. Hangyul, who had rowed with all his strength to save him. Yohan, the quartermaster who was always there for him when he needed him the most. And _ Seungwoo-- _

But, before he loses his consciousness, something, someone pulls him up, wrapping their arms around his waist and dragging him to the surface. 

They struggle through the storm, and Seungyoun goes completely limp in the person’s arms. Eventually, they break through to the surface, and Seungyoun takes the deepest breath. The wind’s still blowing, the waves are still crashing, the sky is still grey, but there’s a sliver of hope. When Seungyoun has his head above the water, he opens his eyes, and the face next to him is undeniably Wooseok’s.

Wooseok opens his mouth to say something, but it’s impossible to hear him over the wind, rain, and thunder. 

Seungyoun doesn’t know where the nearest land is, and in a storm like this, Wooseok probably doesn’t either, but he feels his own body go slack. Wooseok’s a strong swimmer, and he’s clever, resourceful; there’s no doubt in the world that he’s safe now. 

* * *

At some point, Seungyoun totally passes out. He wakes up on a beach, opens his eyes to sunbeams shining between palm leaves. When he turns his head, his eyes meet Wooseok’s unconscious face. His arms are around his waist, head lying against his shoulder, and their legs are entangled together in the sand--

Wait. 

_ Legs _.

Seungyoun sits up, suddenly wide awake, and oh. 

By some miracle, Seungyoun’s still holding the piece of the gaff sail he had torn from the mast when the storm blew him into the sea, so he haphazardly covers Wooseok’s body with it. That aside, Wooseok looks absolutely _ ethereal _in the afternoon sun, eyes closed and dreaming. Soft, like the sand beneath him.

It isn’t long before Wooseok also opens his eyes, blinking into the sunlight like a newborn kitten. 

“Hey.” Seungyoun doesn’t know what else to say to him. Wooseok turns his head around to look at him.

“Hi,” Wooseok says. He sounds husky, his voice nothing like the smooth siren song that had once permeated across the seas. Seungyoun’s own throat is sore from inhaling seawater, and that’s how he realizes with a jolt that Wooseok really is, in every single way, _ human _now. 

“So,” Seungyoun says, standing up and brushing himself off. There’s sand all over him, and his clothes are absolutely soaking. His skin is tragically, tragically dry. “What now? Where to?”

Wooseok stretches, then wraps the gaff sail around himself like a toga. 

“To land, I guess.”

* * *

Fortunately, they didn’t get marooned on an island in the middle of nowhere. There’s a small coastal city nearby, a bustling settlement built on several trade routes and amongst tall palm trees. There’s a busy marketplace within the city walls, and even more fortunately, Seungyoun still has the small bag of doubloons he keeps in his pocket.

Seungyoun buys himself a new jacket and doublet. He offers to buy clothes for Wooseok as well, who happily picks out a loose-fitting ruffled shirt and trousers. It’s a good look on him, makes him look angelic and. Well. _ Tiny _. 

Wooseok also practically _ begs _Seungyoun to buy him a feathered hat on a merchant stand, and well. It’s not like Seungyoun can bring himself to say no, so he buys him that and a new bicorne hat for himself. (He’d still like to feel like a pirate, thank you very much.) The hat, too, looks good on Wooseok, and Seungyoun rather thinks he’s dressed a bit like a poet or a bard.

As they walk around the city, Wooseok limps and wobbles, clinging onto Seungyoun for support. 

“How do you _ live _with these things?” He complains. “They keep tripping over themselves.”

Seungyoun grimaces. He doesn’t have his land legs yet, so he’s almost inclined to agree. Sometimes, they both trip at the same time, landing on hard cobblestone. They laugh it off together.

They find an inn with a sizeable menu and order crab cakes and rum. Wooseok takes a liking to rum, and to Seungyoun’s surprise, his face doesn’t even remotely begin to color even after two drinks. Eventually, as Seungyoun isn't exactly keen on blowing through the rest of his pocket money on alcohol, they purchase a small room upstairs in which to stay the night. 

* * *

(“Do you regret it?” 

Wooseok’s eyes snap open. Chills run down his spine. “Regret what?”

It’s late. There’s a lit candle between their cots, painting the walls with flickering shadows. The dim light occasionally illuminates Seungyoun’s face, and his eyes are intense in a way that makes Wooseok want to shrink back into his duvet. 

“Saving me,” Seungyoun says. “Getting washed up on land. Losing-- losing your tail--” 

“Seungyoun,” Wooseok interrupts him quietly. “I don’t regret that. There’s no way I’d regret that. I couldn’t just let you die.”

“Alright.” Seungyoun has a deep frown on his face. “But _ forever _ , Wooseok. You gave up the ocean. You gave up your immortality. You gave up _ everything _.”

Not everything, Wooseok wants to say. 

Without a word, Wooseok kicks off his sheets and steps out of his cot, carefully avoiding the candle as he crosses over to Seungyoun’s side. Seungyoun freezes for a moment, apparently dumbfounded, but allows Wooseok to climb into his arms.

For most merfolk, growing legs is a choice. It’s their choice to take their first steps on land, to swim over to the shore and have their tails split into two-- and it’s a huge choice, an important choice. For Wooseok, he’d simply been washed ashore with Seungyoun in tow.

But that, too, had been a choice. It was his choice to show himself to Seungyoun, to sing to him, to trust him. It was his choice to save his life at sea. 

So, no. He doesn’t regret anything. But he finds that he’d give anything to be at sea again.

“It’s a sacrifice.” Wooseok squeezes Seungyoun’s hand, settling into his chest. “It’s a sacrifice I had to make, Seungyoun.”

I can give up forever, Wooseok wants to say. I can give up forever, but I can’t give up _ you _. I can’t possibly lose you.

And when Wooseok puts a hand in his hair and kisses him, he desperately hopes that Seungyoun can somehow hear it. When Wooseok deepens the kiss, he sends a silent message, a whispered confession in his heart of hearts. 

When Seungyoun kisses back, he hopes that it’s an affirmation of sorts.)

* * *

“Now what?” Wooseok asks, squeezing Seungyoun’s hand tightly. “Where to?”

It’s his turn now, Seungyoun supposes, so he looks into the distance and takes a deep breath. The inn and market are behind them now, something like a memory in the context of their journey. Before them stands the city gates, a promise of safety that they’re about to turn down.

“To land,” he says definitively. “I need to find my crew.”

“That could take years.” Wooseok’s voice contains no doubt, no scorn. It’s simply a statement, an unfortunate fact. 

“It could.” A smile worms its way onto Seungyoun’s face. “But I don’t think it will.”

To his surprise, Wooseok takes his other hand.

“Let’s do it,” he says. “We’ll find your crew. We’ll get a new ship. We’ll go to sea again.”

The ocean’s friend, Wooseok had said. Seungyoun still isn’t quite sure what that means, but the ocean had spared him when the storm had blown him astray. The ocean had kept him safe for years, decades. The ocean had given him Wooseok. Maybe, just maybe, the ocean will lead him to his friends again.

They can’t quite afford a vessel to travel by sea, even a barge or a cutter, so they ride along a sandy road on the coast by horse. Teaching Wooseok how to ride is a process, but soon, he’s urging his dappled grey mare forward with expert hands. Seungyoun still makes sure to ride close to his side, never going too fast and keeping a close eye. 

“Can I give her a name?” Wooseok asks while they’re cantering to the next town. It’s a few miles away, they learned from a jeweler, and it’s more of a harbor town than this one. 

“What do you have in mind?” Seungyoun replies. His own horse is a roan stallion, sporting a blue-grey coat with subtle white spots. 

“Sky.” Wooseok says this with a wide grin. “Her spots are like clouds, don’t you think?”

Seungyoun hums. “It suits her.” 

Wooseok nods at Seungyoun’s stallion. “Does he have a name?”

“Sea,” Seungyoun says, after hesitating for a moment. “His name is Sea.” 

Sea. Perhaps it’s after his blue-grey coat, perhaps it’s because Seungyoun wants to imagine that he’s still at sea, whether literally or metaphorically. Either way, Wooseok laughs and tells him he approves, so it stays.

It’s just the two of them now, Seungyoun thinks. Seungyoun’s been swept away from everything he’s ever cared about, back on land with nothing but a pouch of coins and the clothes on his back. Wooseok’s in a similar but uncomparable situation, stuck in a completely unfamiliar world, having left behind everything he’s known for centuries. It’s a small mercy that they, at the very least, have each other to rely on. It’s just them, traveling by sea and sky. 

* * *

It’s an incredible stroke of luck. A miracle, really.

They reach the next city after a day’s ride, and the sun’s setting lazily over the horizon by the time they reach the gates. 

And Seungyoun would never have expected to come across the town of his childhood home. He was young back then, felt lost within these walls, felt meaning slowly slip away from his fingers as he walked along the streets. It’s a place he associated with nostalgia, yes, with the innocence of youth, but it’s also a place he’d never think he’d want to see ever again. However, as he rides Sea along the cobbled streets, Wooseok cantering by his side, all he can feel is relief. 

“Wooseok,” Seungyoun says excitedly, pulling on Sea’s reigns and causing him to rear up. “I’ve got some friends here. Seungwoo knows this place. We just have to wait.”

Wooseok smiles thinly. “I can wait.” 

Several years ago, Seungwoo and his old crew had landed here, having had nowhere else to go. Having had an apt taste of the sea, Sejun and Byungchan stayed, running a quaint but busy tavern by the harbor together. To Seungyoun’s delight, it’s still there.

Byungchan’s by the counter, and when Seungyoun pushes the door open, he blinks in disbelief.

“Seungyoun!” Byungchan gives them both a wide, dimpled grin. “It’s been a while.” Then, he shifts his glance over to Wooseok. 

“And you are--?”

“I’m Wooseok.” Wooseok sounds a bit aloof, but he’s also curious. He’s been on land for a while now, but it still must feel. Strange. To talk to human strangers again, and he might still be finding it difficult to trust them.

“We met at sea,” Seungyoun says, smiling widely in Wooseok’s direction. He offers no further explanation.

Byungchan scoffs and raises his eyebrows. “You always did like them pretty.”

“H-hey!” Seungyoun protests, but it’s too late. Wooseok’s shooting him a questioning glance.

“Did I hear that right? Is Seungyoun here?” Sejun emerges from upstairs, taking his place next to Byungchan behind the counter. 

They look good together, Seungyoun thinks. All dimpled smiles and sculpted faces. He wonders if he looks good next to Wooseok.

“Seungwoo...Have either of you heard from him?” Seungyoun asks shyly, at risk of sounding too hopeful, too ridiculous.

Sejun and Byungchan exchange glances.

“We got a pigeon from him the other day,” Sejun says. “His crew’s riding over here as we speak.”

“They asked us to keep an eye out for you.” Byungchan settles to Sejun’s side, then smiles thinly. “And look at how well that turned out.”

So, yeah. It’s an incredible stroke of luck. A miracle, really.

* * *

“You’ve never asked me why I left,” Wooseok says. It’s not accusatory, but it’s not quite apologetic, either. Rather, it’s regretful, but not exactly sad.

It’s the third night they’ve spent in Byungchan and Sejun’s tavern. Seungwoo’s crew is still a couple day’s ride away, but the days are getting close, and they’ve both gotten antsy and apprehensive from waiting. 

“It didn’t seem to matter.” Seungyoun shrugs, taking another bite out of his loaf of bread. “You came back to me. You saved my life. What more could I possibly have wanted?”

It’s a lie. When Wooseok disappeared into the sea, Seungyoun had wanted so much. He had so many questions. The taste of salt and seawater lingered on his lips for days, _ weeks _on end. He’d waited at the bow every single day, searching for any sign of Wooseok in the vast ocean. There was no sign that Wooseok would ever come back. Wooseok had no reason to come back. And yet.

“I trusted you,” Seungyoun adds, quietly this time. The tavern’s so busy that he isn’t entirely sure that Wooseok could hear it. But he does. 

* * *

(“Seungyoun?”

“Yeah?”

“What are we?”

To this, Seungyoun sits up, stretches and yawns. It’s early in the morning, and sunlight filters through the shutters to cast light on the palm trees on the back of his arms. 

“Whatever you want us to be,” he says lethargically. “I don’t know, Wooseok. What _ should _we be?”

_ Lovely, isn’t he? _It’s Yohan’s voice, ringing in his ears from far, far away.

“I love you.”

Seungyoun doesn’t respond, and for a moment, Wooseok’s heart tightens in his chest. Then, Seungyoun climbs over to his cot and wraps his arms around his waist, burying his head in the crook of his neck. 

“I love you,” Seungyoun says against his skin, and Wooseok shivers at the weight of his words. This time, it’s definitely an affirmation, and something heavy lifts off of Wooseok’s chest.

“I love you so, so much.”)

* * *

They arrive on a day when the sun is shining high in the sky. While he’s standing on the tavern balcony, Seungyoun spots Yohan’s broad figure on the horizon, riding down the hill on a brown spotted horse. 

The rest of the crew aren’t so far behind him. Hyeongjun’s at his left, almost struggling to catch up. Meanwhile, Junho stays close to his right, inching forward cautiously while Eunsang’s horse practically zig zags across the road. Dohyon rides awkwardly while Hangyul flanks him closely, presumably reminding him not to panic. Dongpyo and Minhee come to a silent agreement of sorts before racing each other down the hill. Minhee wins, and Seungyoun can practically imagine him blaming it on Dongpyo’s shorter legs. 

And last of all is Seungwoo, stopping pensively on the top of the hill before charging forward with all of his horse’s strength. 

Byungchan and Sejun reach Seungwoo before he does, with Sejun rushing forward to envelop him in his arms first, so Seungyoun approaches the younger members of the crew first. He runs his hands up and down a sobbing Hyeongjun’s back, endures a few minutes of Yohan’s scolding, hugs Hangyul as tightly as he can, and assures Dohyon that he’s not hurt. 

Then, he approaches Seungwoo, who’s currently being held by Byungchan. It’s been a long time since they’ve seen each other, Seungyoun supposes.

“Hey,” Seungyoun says. 

Byungchan lets go of Seungwoo, and Seungwoo’s eyes are unreadable.

“You’re safe.”

Seungyoun’s eyes wander over to where Wooseok is. The kids are crowding him, puzzling over why he has legs now. Wooseok’s busy making up an entire epic about how some evil witch offered them to him in exchange for his voice, but he managed to beat her by stabbing her with a giant trident. Junho doesn’t believe it one bit, but Dohyon and Hyeongjun look like they’re eating it right up.

“Yeah,” he says. “You too, captain. I’m glad you’re safe.” Seungyoun turns to look at the rest of the crew. “I’m glad you’re all safe.”

“We’ll be going back eventually, right?” Wooseok chimes in. “To the sea.”

“Eventually,” Seungwoo says with a smile that reaches his eyes, and it’s a promise.

Eventually, after a month or so of living in the city, the eleven of them can afford to buy a ship again. She’s small, a schooner with two square-rigged topsails, but she’s fast, and much easier to manage with a small crew. They agree to name her _ Storm _, after the storm in the sea that had failed to rend them asunder.

And together, they sail away to the lonely sea and sky. 


	4. epilogue.

“Do you regret it?” 

Seungyoun opens his eyes, squinting against the sun. They’re sitting at the bow, and Wooseok’s laying down on his lap, head resting just underneath the bulkhead and shielded away from the wind. 

“What is there to regret?” Seungyoun says, carding his fingers through Wooseok’s hair. 

Wooseok looks up at him and shrugs. “All of this, I guess. Meeting me. Going to sea again.”

“Are you kidding me? You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” Then, Seungyoun wrinkles his nose. “And can you imagine becoming a  _ landlubber _ ? That’s neither of us, Wooseok.” 

Wooseok laughs, and the sound rings over the waves like music. 

“You’re right,” he says. “There’s nothing to regret.”

Another gust of wind blows over the sails, and it causes the  _ Storm  _ to rock in the ocean a bit. Waves crash against the hull, and clouds gather in the sky.

“I love you,” Wooseok says matter-of-factly. Seungyoun smiles and says it back.

And it’s in moments like these in which Seungyoun swears that he can hear the ocean sing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! it's kinda late and im tired so sorry if these notes r a bit incoherent rn
> 
> this fic wasnt That long per say but it felt like a monster to write lmao. id just like to thank everyone who's read, kudos'd, and commented on this thing i love and appreciate you all so much <3 (even if i havent been replying rly well sdkk ill get to it eventually i promise!) this was my first x1 fic so i was kinda nervous abt posting it but everyone's been so kind and supportive ^^
> 
> my twitter is [here](https://twitter.com/x1oneus) if u wanna come talk to me or yell at me! if u still have questions abt this au or in general my cc is [here](https://curiouscat.me/jooch)! again thank u so much for sitting through this au i really really love u so much <333

**Author's Note:**

> find me on twitter [here](https://twitter.com/toemoon) and curiouscat [here](https://curiouscat.me/jooch)


End file.
